A preliminary report on the use of transfer factor for treating stage D3 hormone-unresponsive metastatic prostate cancer

As conventional treatments are unsuccessful, the survival rate of stage D3 prostate cancer patients is poor. Reports have suggested the existence of humoral and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) against prostate cancer tumour-associated antigens (TAA). These observations prompted us to treat stage D3 prostate cancer patients with an in vitro produced transfer factor (TF) able to transfer, in vitro and in vivo, CMI against bladder and prostate TAA. Fifty patients entered this study and received one intramuscular injection of 2–5 units of specific TF monthly. Follow-up, ranging from 1 to 9 years, showed that complete remission was achieved in 2 patients, partial remission in 6, and no progression of metastatic disease in 14. The median survival was 126 weeks, higher than the survival rates reported in the literature for patients of the same stage.     

Efficacy of transfer factor in treating patients with recurrent ocular herpes infections

Recurrent ocular herpes is an insoluble problem for the clinician. As cellular immunity plays an important role in controlling herpes relapses, and other studies have shown the efficacy of HSV-specific transfer factor (TF) for the treatment of herpes patients, an open clinical trial was undertaken in 134 patients (71 keratitis, 29 kerato-uveitis, 34 uveitis) suffering from recurrent ocular herpetic infections. The mean duration of the treatment was 358 days, and the entire follow-up period 189121 before, and 64062 days after TF treatment. The cell-mediated immune response to the viral antigens, evaluated by the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) and the leucocyte migration test (LMT) (P<0.001), was significantly increased by the TF treatment. The total number of relapses was decreased significantly during/after TF treatment, dropping from 832 before, to 89 after treatment, whereas the cumulative relapse index (RI) dropped, during the same period, from 13.2 to 4.17 (P<0.0001). No side effects were observed. It is concluded that patients with relapsing ocular herpes can benefit from treatment with HSV-specific TF.     

Effect of anti-herpes specific transfer factor

Using a blood cell separator, lymphocytes were collected from otherwise healthy convalescents suffering from herpetic infections. A specific anti-herpes dialysate (AH-DLE) was prepared from the lymphocytes, using standard procedures. Patients with recurrent herpetic infections were treated with a single dose of the dialysate, at the initial signs of herpetic infection (group A), with two doses (group B) or with three doses (group C). A total number of 37 patients (29 women, 8 men, age range 15–73 years) were treated. No improvement was observed in 7 patients (18.9%), whilst 7 patients did not manifest any exacerbation of their herpetic infection in the course of the one-year follow-up. The remaining 62.2% of the patients showed a marked improvement: decrease of the frequency and/or duration or relapses. Before AH-DLE administration, the mean number of herpes relapses in this group of patients was 12 p.a.. After therapy, the number of relapses decreased to 3.5 p.a.. No statistically significant difference was observed between groups A and B. The least favourable results were registered in group C. However, this group included 6 female patients extremely resistant to the previously therapeutic attempts, including inosiplex, non-specific DLE or acyclovir. Thus, even in this group, the therapy was successful in 50% of the patients.     

Antisporozoite Antibodies with Protective and Nonprotective Activities: In Vitro and In Vivo Correlations Using Plasmodium gallinaceum, an Avian Model

ABSTRACT. A correlation was observed between in vivo and in vitro activity of six monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against the major circumsporozoite protein of the avian malaria Plasmodium gallinaceum as follows. (1) Two mAb were protective, totally abrogating sporozoite infectivity to chicks, its natural host, in vivo; they caused 100% inhibition of sporozoite invasion (ISI) in vitro to SL-29 chicken fibroblasts and intense ISI to cultured chicken macrophages, as well as inhibited the exoerythrocytic development of sporozoites taken up by macrophages, the initial cell host of P. gallinaceum sporozoites. (2) Two mAb were partially protective in that they reduced sporozoite infectivity to chicks, caused partial ISI to SL-29 and macrophage cells and partial inhibition to the exoerythrocytic development of sporozoites in macrophages in vitro. (3) Two mAb were totally inactive in vivo although they both bound to the sporozoite antigens as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, western blot, and ELISA; they both failed to induce ISI or inhibit the exoerythrocytic development in macrophages. The possible participation of macrophages as the initial cell type involved in sporozoite destruction in the presence of anti-circumsporozoite antibodies is discussed.     

Dietary zinc-methionine enhances mononuclear-phagocytic function in young turkeys

The ability of dietary zinc-methionine (Zn-Met) to enhance mononuclear-phagocytic function againstSalmonella arizona andenteritids was investigated in young turkeys. Feed/gain and body wt gain at 21 d of age were not affected by Zn-Met. The addition of 30 or 45 ppm Zn from Zn-Met to a Zn adequate diet significantly increased cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity to phytohemagglutinin-P. The clearance of intravenously administeredS. enteritidis from blood was not affected by 30 ppm of supplemental Zn from Zn-Met. However, 30 ppm Zn from Zn-Met increased the reduction of intravenously administeredS. arizona from spleen. Percentages of myeloid and mononuclear-phagocytic cells before and afterS. enteritidis infection were not affected by supplemental Zn-Met. Turkeys supplemented with Zn-Met showed enhanced in vitro phagocytosis ofS. enteritidis by Sephadex-elicited abdominal exudate cells. The phagocytosis ofS. arizona was unaffected by Zn-Met.     

异质性荧光染色的巨噬细胞功能研究I．异质性荧光染色的巨噬细胞吞噬活性

利用淀粉多糖和免疫促进剂（白喉类毒素和卡介苗）诱导和活化小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞,观察了四种异质性荧光染色的巨噬细胞非特异性和特异性吞噬活性。实验证明,深蓝色和淡蓝色荧光的巨噬细胞是分化程度低的幼稚细胞,非特异性吞噬功能较弱,但在特异性吞噬过程中呈现了活跃的吞噬活性,特别是在免疫促进剂的活化下,它们的特异性吞噬功能显著增强、淡蓝绿色荧光的巨噬细胞是分化程度较高、非特异性和特异性吞噬功能最旺盛的巨噬细胞,而黄色荧光的巨噬细胞是分化程度最高、特异性吞噬功能较减退的巨噬细胞。     

流行性出血热免疫球蛋白的研制

本文首次报告采用纯化灭活流行性出血热（ＥＨＦ）Ⅰ型疫苗免疫健康献血员,采集ＥＨＦ抗体高滴度的血浆,用低温乙醇法及盐析法分离纯化三批ＥＨＦ免疫球蛋白。结果表明：（１）采用０,１,３,４（月）或０,１,４,５（月）免疫程序,疫苗剂量１～２ｍｌ（０．１５～０．３０ｍｇ蛋白）,受免献血员血清平均抗体滴度可达１∶４０６（ＥＬＩＳＡ）或１∶１１２（ＲＰＨＩ）。（２）通过生化检定,三批制品的电泳纯度为９７．０５％,９６．８４％,９９．２６％;ＩｇＧ单体和二聚体含量为８９．５５％,９１．３０％和９８．２１％。（３）用空斑抑制中和试验及免疫印染试验证明所纯化的免疫球蛋白具有抗ＥＨＦ病毒特异性。（４）三批ＥＨＦ免疫球蛋白的效价测定,结果为ＥＬＩＳＡ滴度≥１∶５１２,ＲＰＨＩ滴度≥１∶１０２４,ＰＲＮＴ（中和抗体）滴度１∶４０。按１６％蛋白计,ＥＨＦ免疫球蛋白的效价可达原料血浆的１０倍以上。（５）无菌、安全、毒性及热原质试验检定结果,全部通过《中国生物制品规程》要求。     

Microtubule-associated distribution of specific granules and secretion of atrial natriuretic factor in primary cultures of rat cardiomyocytes

A close spatial relationship between specific granules containing atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and microtubules was demonstrated in primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. For the detection of specific granules and microtubules, the myocytes were double immunolabelled with antibodies against -ANF and -tubulin and examined by conventional fluorescence or laser scanning confocal microscopy. In addition, the ultrastructural distribution of specific granules was demonstrated by electron microscopy. In the atrial myocytes, ANF was stored in numerous specific granules that were mainly localized in the perinuclear sarcoplasm. In the ventricular myocytes, however, a minority of the cells (10%) exhibited limited ANF immunoreactivity after 4 days in culture. Microtubules were present throughout the sarcoplasm of the myocytes. They were most densely packed in the perinuclear regions. Depolymerization of the microtubules with nocodazole was followed by dispersal of ANF immunostaining both in the atrial myocytes and in the ventricular myocytes exhibiting ANF immunoreactivity. When the microtubules were allowed to recover, the perinuclear distribution of specific granules, as seen in non-treated myocytes, reappeared. Measurements of secreted immunoreactive ANF by radioimmunoassay revealed that the secretion of ANF from atrial myocytes into the medium was significantly reduced following nocodazole treatment, whereas a similar decrease in secretion from ventricular myocytes was not observed. These findings indicate that ANF-containing specific granules are closely associated with microtubules within the myocytes. It is suggested that secretion of ANF from the atrial myocytes, in contrast to the ventricular myocytes, is microtubule-dependent.     

Two tumor models of curative adoptive chemoimmunotherapy using tumor-infiltrated spleen cells with potent antitumor cytotoxicity stimulated by antigen-sharing tumors

Previously we have established curative protocols for adoptive chemoimmunotherapy (ACIT) of mice bearing different plasmacytomas that are known to bear cross-reacting antigens: (a) the cure of mice bearing an early-stage, nonpalpable MOPC-315 tumor by a very low dose of cyclophosphamide (10 mg/kg) and cultured MOPC-315-tumor-infiltrated (TI) spleen cells (25×10⁶) and (b) the cure of mice bearing a late-stage, relatively drug-resistant, highly metastatic RPC-5 tumor with cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg) and cultured RPC-5 TI spleen cells (25×10⁶–50×10⁶). In both models, the spleen cells were obtained from mice bearing a late-stage tumor and were cultured for 5 days in the presence of polyethyleneglycol 6000 and autochthonous tumor cells as a source of tumor antigen. Here we show that RPC-5 tumor cells could substitute for MOPC-315 tumor cells in the 5-day culture of MOPC-315 TI spleen cells so that they became curative in ACIT for mice bearing an early-stage MOPC-315 tumor. Similarly, MOPC-315 tumor cells could substitute for RPC-5 tumor cells in the 5-day culture of RPC-5 TI spleen cells so that they became curative in ACIT of mice bearing a late-stage RPC-5 tumor. In addition, RPC-5 TI spleen cells cultured with either MOPC-315 or RPC-5 tumor cells were effective in curing all mice bearing an early-stage MOPC-315 tumor by ACIT. However, MOPC-315 TI spleen cells whether cultured with MOPC-315 or RPC-5 tumor cells, were much less effective than cultured RPC-5 TI spleen cells in curing mice bearing a late-stage RPC-5 tumor by ACIT (although the survival of these mice was extended significantly). Interestingly, whereas RPC-5 TI spleen cells cultured with either MOPC-315 or RPC-5 tumor cells were as effective as MOPC-315 TI spleen cells cultured under the same conditions in lysing MOPC-315 tumor cells in vitro, MOPC-315 TI spleen cells that had been cultured with either MOPC-315 or RPC-5 tumor cells exerted a much weaker in vitro cytotoxic T lymphocyte activity against RPC-5 tumor cells than did RPC-5 TI spleen cells that had been cultured under the same conditions.Work was supported by research grant CA-30088 from the National Cancer Institute and IM-435 from the American Cancer Society. M. B. M. was supported by Career Development Award CA-01350 from the National Cancer InstituteThis work is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph. D. degree     

细菌Ⅵ型分泌系统效应蛋白的装配及功能的研究进展

蛋白分泌作为细胞之间传递信号的途径之一,在微生物生存竞争中也扮演着重要的角色。革兰氏阴性菌可以通过Ⅵ型分泌系统(type Ⅵ secretion system, T6SS)将效应蛋白传递至胞外或原核和真核微生物中,从而介导微生物间的竞争或宿主-细菌的相互作用,最终建立竞争优势。本文主要总结了T6SS的结构与组成,并重点对效应蛋白的装配以及其与免疫蛋白的作用机制的研究进展进行阐述,为以后靶向T6SS抗菌药物的研制提供新思路。